Adjustable shelf support bracket

ABSTRACT

An adjustable shelf support bracket having a pair of oppositely extending cantilever type shelf support beams pivotally connected at their inner ends to a vertically adjustable inner plate with hooked tabs to connect the plate to a vertical column at a desired height. The angular orientation of each beam is determined by the engagement of an adjustment pin with an individual tooth chosen from a plurality of teeth formed in the inner end of the beam and such orientation may be varied by selectively changing the tooth engaged by the adjustment pin.

United States Patent Myers 3,700,114 [451- Oct. 24, 1972 BRACKET Inventor:

ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT James E. Myers, Niles, Mich. Assignee: Clark Equipment Company Filed:

Jan. 18, 1971 Appl. No.: 107,203

US. Cl. ..21 1/150, 108/6, 248/242,

1111. c1. ..A47g 29/02 Field of Search ..24s/242, 291; 211/111, 116,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Stack ..248/291 X Johansson ..248/242 Helgeson ..248/291 X Walsh ..248/291 Gray ..'...248/242 Oztekin ..248/242 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 495,979 ll/ 1938- Great Britain ..248/242 Primary Examiner-William l-I. Schultz Attorney-Kenneth C. Witt, John C. Wiessler, Robert H. Johnson and Lewis J. Lamm [57] ABSTRACT An adjustable shelf support bracket having a pair of oppositely extending cantilever type shelf support beams .pivotally connected at their inner ends to a vertically adjustable inner plate with hooked tabs to connect the plate to a vertical column at a desired height. The angular orientation of each beam is determined by the engagement of an adjustment pin with an individual tooth chosen from a plurality of teeth formed in the inner end of the beam and such orientation may be varied by selectively changing the tooth engaged by the adjustment pin.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED 00124 I 12 3 700.1 14

SHEEI 1 0F 2 FIG.- I

INVENTOR JAMES I E. MYERS ATTORN EY PATENTEU I97? 3. 700.1 14

SHEET 3 BF 2 I N .VEN TOR JAMES E. MYERS 14c ATTORN EY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In merchandising display racks the display shelves are usually supported from a vertical support column upon a cantilever type beam to allow easy access to the rear of the shelf, such beams being connected to the support column through a bracket of sufficient strength to support a fully loaded shelf. In such racks it is desirable that the individual shelves be angularly as well as vertically adjustable independent of one another so that the rack may be as versatile as possible in displaying a variety of items offered for sale and since the angular and vertical position of the display shelves may require variation with each reloading of the rack, a great deal of time and effort may be saved if the supporting bracket is designed to allow repositioning of the shelves as quickly and easily as possible without compromising the racks strength and stability characteristics when fully loaded. One type of shelf support bracket that has been used to provide for vertical and angular adjustment of the supported shelf is described in US. Pat. Nos. 3,248,079- and3,538,860 and another type of bracket providing similar features is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,417,872. An object of this invention is to provide an adjustable shelf support bracket which may be more quickly and easily repositioned than those heretofore known and which also may provide sufficient strength to support a heavily loaded shelf.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In carrying out my invention in one preferred form thereof I provide an adjustable shelf support bracket connectable to a vertical support column. The bracket includes a cantilever type shelf support beam having an inner shoulder portion with a plurality of teeth formed along its edge. The beam -is pivotally supported from the vertical column upon a pivot pin and movable between an engaged position wherein a selected one of the shoulder portion teeth engages an adjustment pin apart from the pivot pin and fixed relative thereto to thereby prevent the beam from pivoting about the pivot pin and a nonengaged position wherein the shoulder portion teeth do not engage the adjustment pin. When the beam is in the nonengaged position it may be pivoted about the pivot pin to a newly desired angular orientation and then returned to the engaged position wherein the adjustment pin is engaged by a different shoulder portion tooth to fix the beam in its new angular orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the merchandising display rack having vertically and angularly adjustable shelf support brackets embodying this invention,

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the support bracket showing its components aligned for assembly,

FIG. 3 is an end view of an assembled support bracket with portions removed for clarity, and

FIG. 4 is a schematic end view of the rack shown in FIG. 1 to illustrate the angular adjustability of the support bracket shown in FIG. 2.

2 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, an adjustable display rack embodying this invention is indicated generally by the numeral 10. Rack 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as supportably mounted upon a generally rectangular base structure 12 having ground engaging wheels 14, but it will be understood that such mounting is for the convenience of the rack user and that the structure hereinafter explained may be mounted upon a variety of base supports as best suits the purposes of a person practicing this invention. A pair of vertical support columns 16a and 16b are adapted to support therebetween a selectable number of adjustable display shelves 18a through 182 extending forwardly from the columns and an equal number of companion shelves 20a through 202 extending rearwardly from the columns. Shelves l8 and shelves 20 are supportably connected at each end thereof to support columns 16 by vertically and angularly adjustable shelf support brackets indicated generally by the numeral 22 and shown schematically in FIG. 4; such support brackets providing for the individual angular adjustment of companion shelves so that they may be inclined in the same direction as shelves 18d and 20d are shown positioned in FIG. 4 or they may be inclined in opposite directions (or hipped) as shelves 18c and 200 are shown positioned in FIG. 4.

The form of the individual components and the assembly of a single support bracket 22 is probably most readily apparent with reference to FIG. 2 which shows the brackets components aligned for assembly. A pair of similar cantilever type support beams 24L and 24R that may be formed of metal plate or sheet of a suitable thickness and strength are adapted to each support one end of a shelf 18 or 20. Support beams 24 may be of any desired length and each includes a'generally planer beam portion 26 which is disposed in a vertical plane and has a straight, shelf carrying, upper edge provided with a flange 28; the upper edge terminating atits outer endin an upwardly extending, shelf engaging tab 30. Each support beam 24 also includes a shoulder portion 32 at the inner end thereof which provides a plurality of selectively pitched teeth 34 formed in its lower edge that are arcuately arranged with respect to an elongated opening 36 in the upper portion of the shoulders 32; opening 36R being elongated in a direction radial to the are about which teeth 34R are arranged and opening 36L being elongated in a direction radial to the are about which teeth 34L are arranged so that the support beams may be angularly adjusted as hereinafter explained. A pivot pin 38 is loosely received through the opening 36L in support beam 24L and the opening 36R in support beam 24R so that the beams are scissored about pivot pin 38 and in the assembled bracket 22 the pivot pin extends between and is connected to an inner support plate 40 and an outer support plate 42 to pivotally support beams 24R and 24L intermediate the inner and outer plates upon the pivot pin. An adjustment pin 44 is also connected between inner plate 40 and outer plate 42 in the assembled bracket and is adapted to engage a selectable one of teeth 34L so that the angle of support beam 24L with respect to the inner support plate may be adjusted as hereinafter explained. A second adjustment pin 46 is also connected between the inner and outer support plates and is adapted to ensupport bracket 22 may be located at gage a selectable one of teeth 34R for the angular adjustment of support beam 24R in a manner similar to the adjustment of support beam 24L. Inner support plate 40 includes a pair of downwardly hooked lower tabs 48 and a pair of downwardly hooked upper tabs 50 that provide means for supportably connecting an individual support bracket 22 to a vertical support column 16. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, each vertical support column provides a pair of vertically disposed parallel rows of spaced apertures or slots 52 which may be selectably engaged in a manner known in the art by the inner support plate tabs 48 and 50 so that a shelf a desired height along a vertical support column l6.-

The operation of the vertically and angularly adjustable shelf support bracket 22 of the embodiment is perhaps best understood with reference to FIG. 3 which shows the shelf support beams 24L and 24R adjusted to support their display shelves in a horizontal position. Support bracket 22 has been vertically adjusted to a desired height and connected to vertical support column 16 by the engagement of lower tabs 48 in slots I 52a and 52b and upper tabs 50in slots 52c and 52d in the usual manner. Support beams 24L and 24R are V held in the angular position shown in FIG. 3 by the engagement of their associated adjustment pin 44 or--46 with the respective shoulder portion teeth 34. If it is desired-to change the angular adjustment of shelf support beam 24R independent of shelf support beam 24L, beam 24R is first lifted from the position in engagement with adjustment pin 46 shown in FIG. 3 in the direction permitted by the elongation of opening 36R to an extent sufficient to remove pin 46 from engagement between tooth 34a and 34b. When beam 24R is in this nonengaged or. lifted position it may be pivoted either clockwise or counterclockwise about pivot pin 38 to a newly desired angular orientation and then lowered until adjustment pin 46 is engaged between a different selected pair of teeth 34R. Support beam 24L may also be independently adjusted in a manner similar to that explained for the adjustment of support beam 24R. and it will be understood that the pitch and number of teeth 34 formed in each shoulder portion 32 may be selected to provide any graduation and magnitude of shelf adjustment desired.

While I have described and illustrated herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, incorporated in one type of shelf support bracket, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that my invention may be incorporated in a variety of shelf support brackets and that other embodiments and modifications of the invention may be made, as for example an embodiment having only one shelf support beam 24 rather than the two oppositely extending beams herein described. It should be understood, therefore, that I intend to cover by the appended claims all modifications and variations which fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. An adjustable shelf support bracket connectable to a vertical support column comprising:

a first shelf support beam extending outwardly in one direction and including a first shoulder portion at the inner end thereof having. a plurality of first teeth formed along its edge,

a second shelf support beam extending outwardly in a direction opposite to said first beam and including a second shoulder portion at the inner end thereof having a plurality of second teeth formed along its edge,

a pivot pin engaging said first and second shoulder portions and pivotallysupporting about a common pivot axis said first and said second support beams at their respective inner ends, so that said shelf support beams may remain in a common plane when rotated about said common pivot axis,

a first adjustment pin apart from said pivot pin and engageable by a selectable one ofsaid first teeth, said first support beam being movable relative to said adjustment pin between an engaged position wherein said first adjustment pin is engaged by one of said first teeth so that said first beam may not pivot about said pivot pin, and a nonengaged position wherein said first adjustment pin is not engaged by said first teeth so that said first beam may pivot about said pivot pin, and

a second adjustment pin apart from said pivot pin and engageable by a selectable one of said second teeth, said second support beam being movable relative to said second adjustment pin between an engaged position wherein said second adjustment pin is engaged by one of said second teeth so that said second beam maynot pivot about said pivot pin, and a nonengaged position wherein said second adjustment pin is not engaged by said second teeth, so that said second beam may pivot about said pivot pin. 7

2. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 1 wherein said first shoulder portion has a first opening disposed therethrough and said second shoulder portion has a second opening disposed therethrough and wherein said pivot pin passes through said first and said second openings.

3. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 2 wherein said first opening is elongated in a direction substantially normal to the edge along which said first teeth are formed and wherein said second opening is elongated in a direction substantially normal to the edge along which said second teeth are formed so that said first and said second beams may move between their respective engaged and nonengaged positions.

4. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 2 wherein the edge of said first shoulder portion along which said first teeth are formed is arcuate and said first opening is elongated in a direction radial to the arc of said first shoulder portion edge, and wherein the edge of said second shoulder portion along which said second teeth are formed is arcuate and said second opening is elongated in a direction radial to the arc of said second shoulder portion edge, so that said first and second beams may move between their respective engaged and nonengaged positions.

5. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 4 and including an inner support plate having said pivot pin and said first and said second adjustment pins connected thereto, said inner plate providing means for supportably connecting the adjustable support bracket to the vertical support column.

6. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 5 and including an outer support plate having said pivot pin and said first and second adjustment pins connected thereto, said outer plate substantially parallel to but apart from said inner plate and the inner ends 5 of said first and said second support beams positioned intermediate said inner and said outer plates. 

1. An adjustable shelf support bracket connectable to a vertical support column comprising: a first shelf support beam extending outwardly in one direction and including a first shoulder portion at the inner end thereof having a plurality of first teeth formed along its edge, a second shelf support beam extending outwardly in a direction opposite to said first beam and including a second shoulder portion at the inner end thereof having a plurality of second teeth formed along its edge, a pivot pin engaging said first and second shoulder portions and pivotally supporting about a common pivot axis said first and said second support beams at their respective inner ends, so that said shelf support beams may remain in a common plane when rotated about said common pivot axis, a first adjustment pin apart from said pivot pin and engageable by a selectable one of said first teeth, said first support beam being movable relative to said adjustment pin between an engaged position wherein said first adjustment pin is engaged by one of said first teeth so that said first beam may not pivot about said pivot pin, and a nonengaged position wHerein said first adjustment pin is not engaged by said first teeth so that said first beam may pivot about said pivot pin, and a second adjustment pin apart from said pivot pin and engageable by a selectable one of said second teeth, said second support beam being movable relative to said second adjustment pin between an engaged position wherein said second adjustment pin is engaged by one of said second teeth so that said second beam may not pivot about said pivot pin, and a nonengaged position wherein said second adjustment pin is not engaged by said second teeth, so that said second beam may pivot about said pivot pin.
 2. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 1 wherein said first shoulder portion has a first opening disposed therethrough and said second shoulder portion has a second opening disposed therethrough and wherein said pivot pin passes through said first and said second openings.
 3. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 2 wherein said first opening is elongated in a direction substantially normal to the edge along which said first teeth are formed and wherein said second opening is elongated in a direction substantially normal to the edge along which said second teeth are formed so that said first and said second beams may move between their respective engaged and nonengaged positions.
 4. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 2 wherein the edge of said first shoulder portion along which said first teeth are formed is arcuate and said first opening is elongated in a direction radial to the arc of said first shoulder portion edge, and wherein the edge of said second shoulder portion along which said second teeth are formed is arcuate and said second opening is elongated in a direction radial to the arc of said second shoulder portion edge, so that said first and second beams may move between their respective engaged and nonengaged positions.
 5. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 4 and including an inner support plate having said pivot pin and said first and said second adjustment pins connected thereto, said inner plate providing means for supportably connecting the adjustable support bracket to the vertical support column.
 6. An adjustable shelf support bracket according to claim 5 and including an outer support plate having said pivot pin and said first and second adjustment pins connected thereto, said outer plate substantially parallel to but apart from said inner plate and the inner ends of said first and said second support beams positioned intermediate said inner and said outer plates. 